


Our Bridge

by dicaculus



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cat Magnus Bane, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29868675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dicaculus/pseuds/dicaculus
Summary: Inspired by Malec from episodes 1x04-1x12My take on a retelling of the beginning of Malec if Magnus had been able to transform into a cat
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 63





	Our Bridge

**Author's Note:**

> I blame whoever it was that put Cat Magnus in my head months ago

The first time Alec sees the cat, he’s alone. He’s out on patrol, purposefully falling behind the group of Shadowhunters so he’s alone. It’s a beautiful night, the moon is full; the stars are bright, and he’s not ready to get back to the institute just yet. That’s probably why he doesn’t notice the demon until it’s too late. The demon comes out from the alleyway, knocks him on his back, pinning him to the pavement. He wriggles trying to get out from underneath the demon’s hold but the demon is strong, he can’t reach his blade and he’s tired from an earlier fight. He hears a noise and suddenly the demon is off of him. Alec pulls himself up to his feet and draws his blade, but the demon is gone. Instead, Alec is face to face with a cat. The cat sits in front of him with its tail wrapped around them. It has thick, shaggy, black fur and is larger than a regular house cat. Their body is long and rectangular, the tail is long and bushy and they have the most golden eyes he’s ever seen on a cat. 

“Hey kitty”  
He crouches down in front of the cat; he stretches his hand, hoping this cat will come closer. The cat continues to stare at him with disdain. Their fluffy tail curled around them. Alec pulls back his hand when it’s clear the cat isn’t interested.

“Um...thanks I guess for saving me, I guess I should be more careful and watch my surroundings”

The cat yawns, shakes itself off and turns down the alleyway, tail held high in the air. He stares after the cat until it disappears, then decides he should get home before he’s surprised by yet another demon. It’s not until Alec is laying in bed that he wonders why a demon would be afraid of a cat.

Alec doesn’t see the cat again for weeks, but during every patrol or any night away from the institute, he looks for those bright golden eyes. Sometimes Alec swears he sees the cat, from a small shadow in an alleyway or bright eyes from the darkness that on one unfortunate occasion turned out to be an angry raccoon. The next time he sees the feline is after a demon hunt, he’s with his siblings when down the alleyway he sees a pair of golden eyes and the outline of a cat reflected by a street lamp. He walks towards the cat to greet it, but the cat runs away when his siblings come up behind him.  
~  
Then Clary falls into their lives. She bursts in all red hair and irritating, making demands and getting upset when Alec can’t do what she asks. Alec sympathizes with her, he gets her mother is missing and she needs to find her he does but there are protocols despite what his parabatai and sister seem to think. Eventually, they end up at Pandemonium to find Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, and the warlock responsible for taking Clary’s memories. Alec is on the second floor, observing from above, watching for trouble. From above he can see Clary, her red hair shining under the club lights. He watches as Clary what he assumes is arguing with the warlock. Her body is tense and her fists are clenched at her sides. From behind the warlock, he notices movement, then sees the reflection of a blade. 

Without a second thought, he latches an arrow and shoots the man in the chest. He doesn’t notice the screams or the chaos as he flies down the stairs, past his siblings, Clary and the warlock to get his arrow back and take the circle member’s dagger.

When Magnus leaves through a portal, Alec and Jace track Magnus to his loft using a button Clary ripped from Magnus’s jacket. When Alec arrives he finds the warlock fighting with a circle member, he shoots the circle member in the leg with an arrow then Magnus finishes him.

“Well done”  
“More like medium rare” 

The warlock turns around and for the first time that night, Alec gets a look at him. Magnus is beautiful. He’s tall though shorter than Alec, his skin golden and shines with the moonlight coming through the window behind him. Magnus is wearing a fitted black trouser, a black mesh button-up with red embroidered flowers on it He has three buttons undone with a black blazer on over top. He wears too many rings than should be acceptable and necklaces that emphasizes his chest Alec has a hard time looking away. 

“I’m Magnus I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced”  
“Alec,”

Then Magnus smiles at him, he’s suddenly flushed, his entire body feeling warm. His breath hitches, his tongue suddenly feeling too big for his mouth.

“We should really you know probably get you know”  
“We should join the party”  
“Right” 

~  
Alec pants as he reaches the bridge. The night had been interesting. Between going to Pandemonium, meeting Magnus Bane and then the summoning of a memory demon, Alec was exhausted. He leans against the edge of the bridge, watching the water run over the rocks. A rustling from behind the shadowhunter catches his attention. He slowly grabs the handle of the blade strapped to his thigh, ready to attack whatever is behind him. He takes a quiet breath then quickly spins around expecting a demon or something instead it’s a cat. It’s _the cat_ , the cat he met in the alleyway weeks ago and had only seen glimpses since.

“Oh, it’s you”   
Alec sighs in relief and straps the blade back to his thigh, and squats down, holding out his hand for the cat. The cat cautiously walks over, sniffs his hand, then nuzzles their face against it. 

“How are you doing, buddy? Haven’t seen you in a while” he asks while gently petting between the cat’s ears. The cat looks much the same as the last time he saw them, a thick, shaggy and coarse-looking coat of black fur, long white whiskers and those striking gold eyes. 

The cat chirps at Alec

“My day was..um eventful might be the way to put it. Sometimes I think I’m the only one who sees things clearly and takes their duties seriously,” He sighs, moves so he can sit crossed legged then continues to pet the cat. He goes over the events of tonight in his head. Pandemonium, the circle member, the summoning, and Magnus. Magnus was beautiful, paid attention to him, flirted with him and called him pretty. Magnus made him feel nervous, confused and off-balance in a way no one ever had.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of Alec,” he’d said  
How Magnus knew he was ashamed of sexuality or even suspected he was gay was beyond him. Did everyone know? Did his family know and just weren’t saying anything?

“Alec, is that you?”

Alec groans, recognizing the voice of his parabatai, but slowly gets up, apologizing to the cat who protests when Alec stops petting him. He turns around and faces his parabatai the cat standing beside him “Yeah you found me” he says.

“We’ve been looking for you”

Alec bites his comment on how he’s surprised with all the attention he’s paying to Clary. “I just needed some air,” he says instead

Jace nods unconvinced “Looks you made a friend though” 

Jace steps closer and squats down near the cat, he reaches his hand forward and makes noises Alec only assumes he hopes will make the cat come closer. Instead, the cat growls lowly in its throat and hisses at Jace baring its teeth, making the shadowhunter jump backwards.

Alec hides his laugh behind his fist, smiling for the first time that night. The pair head back after that, Jace complaining the entire way about the cat hissing and growling at him.   
~  
“Stay for one more drink and then decide”

One more drink had turned into several more drinks after Clary had left with a healed Luke. The first drink burned as he swallowed it, barely able to keep the grimace off his face, though he’s pretty sure Magnus notices. After the second, he’s gotten used to the taste and they’re sitting in Magnus’s living room. Alec on the couch he cleaned off and Magnus in an armchair opposite him, getting to know each other and swapping stories. By the third drink, Alec almost likes the taste. Magnus has moved from the armchair onto the couch beside him, they’re facing each other. Magnus’s arm resting on the back of the couch, his fingers dangerously close to touching Alec’s shoulder, his legs tucked underneath him. He’s been telling increasingly gregarious stories from his past, stories Alec isn’t a hundred percent sure are true, but he’s enjoying Magnus’s company too much to care. From escaping with Marie Antoinette in a hot-air balloon to being banned from Peru, Alec hangs on to every word.

“You had so many adventures,” he says “I haven’t really had the chance, I haven’t travelled much out of New York or Idris,”  
“I’ve lived a long time Alexander, you have plenty of time for adventures of your own”  
He pokes Alec’s shoulder playfully, Alec’s breath hitches “Y-yeah, I hope so,” He clears his throat and checks his watch, his eyes widening when realizes the time “I should, I should probably get back, it’s late”

Alec gets up but gets pushed back down with a firm hand on his thigh 

“Alexander, you’ve been drinking, I couldn’t let you leave in good conscience you could get surprised by a demon. You can have the couch, I’ll get you a blanket”

Alec tries to protest but Magnus is persistent and if Alec is being honest, he’s tired and doesn’t want to move. So the shadowhunter accepts the blanket from the warlock. They say goodnight, smiling at each other before Magnus turns down the hallway to his bedroom. He lies on the couch with the blanket Magnus gave him and falls asleep.

When Alec reaches the institute, the next morning it’s with squinting eyes and a pounding head. When he reaches the ops room, his sister is waiting for him.

“Where have you been? Mom and dad have been asking for you. Did you sleep at Magnus’s place?”  
“Good morning to you to Iz,” says Alec, he ignores the question about Magnus “Do you know what they want?”

Isabelle swallows “They’re going to make you marry I heard them talking,”   
Alec sighs. He’s not surprised about this, most Shadowhunters his age are married and having children, but Alec knows it’s mostly about restoring the Lightwood name.

“Do you know who?”  
“Lydia Branwell”

Alec nods, it makes sense. Lydia is beautiful and comes from a good family, it would restore their family name.  
“You’re not seriously considering it, are you?”   
“What other choice do I have?”

Alec storms out of the room, his sister calls after him but he keeps moving. He gets to his room and slams the door behind him. He leans against the door and sighs, one hand gripping the handle, the other clenched by his side. He doesn’t want to marry Lydia; he doesn’t want to marry a woman at all. His mind keeps going back to last night with Magnus. He felt light, happy and comfortable. Every time Magnus had touched him, his skin felt warm and his heart would race in his chest, something he’d never felt with anyone before. He shakes his head, trying to push the warlock from his mind. Instead, he takes a quick shower, changes his clothes and finds his parents in the institute’s head’s office. There what Isabelle had told him earlier is confirmed, they want him to marry Lydia. He listens as his parents explain why they think this arrangement would be good for them. They’re all reasons he’s heard before.

_“It’s good for our family”_   
_“It’ll restore our family's name_   
_“Make your sibling’s lives easier,”_

Alec begrudgingly agrees despite it being the last thing he wants, he knows it’s what’s best for his family and it’s not like he can ever have what he wants, anyway. He leaves the office, closing the door behind himself with a clenched fist. He digs one of his nails into his palm, the sharp pain stopping him from shedding tears. Somehow he leaves the institute unseen and using his speed rune he runs to his spot on the bridge. Thankfully, despite it being daytime, the park is empty. He looks out onto the flowing water and finally lets himself cry. Tears of anger, frustration and sadness about his life, how he’ll never get to live the life he wants to live. He’ll never meet a man and fall in love, he’ll never get to know what could have happened with Magnus. Tears about how he has to step up to fix his family’s mistakes, despite none of it being his fault. He wipes his tears and takes a calming breath, knowing he needs to get back when he hears a familiar meow.

“Hey” Alec smiles sadly but pats the stone of the bridge, hoping the cat will jump up. The cat jumps up and sits beside Alec’s arm. They rub their head against Alec’s shoulder and purrs. He pets the cat calmingly and continues to look out at the water. They’re quiet and Alec is grateful for the silent company with everything going on in his head.

“I thought I’d find you here”

Alec groans as his silence is broken “Did you need something?”

“I was told to come and find you, apparently you have a wedding to plan”

“Yeah” he says with a clenched jaw “I guess I do”  
“You don’t ha-”  
“Jace don’t” Alec interrupts him   
“Okay” he says, pressing his lips together. Jace looks over and raises an eyebrow “Is that the same cat as the other night”

Alec nods and scratches the cat between the ears

“Don’t you find it strange that the same cat has found you twice?”  
Alec shrugs “It’s just a cat, their family probably lives nearby”  
Jace stares at the black cat, unconvinced “Yeah but twice, at the same bridge every time you show up,” 

Alec decides to not tell Jace that this is at least the fourth time he’d seen the cat and the first time they’d scared away a demon.  
“And why is it staring at me?”  
“Jace it’s a cat, they stare it’s what they do,”   
Alec pats the cat one last time before following his brother back to the institute.

~  
“I know you feel what I feel Alec”  
“You don’t have a clue what I feel, so back off”

Backing off was the last thing Alec had wanted, he’d been angry but mostly scared. Scared of the feelings he had for Magnus, real feelings for a man that he’d never felt before. Magnus had flirted with him so blatantly the night of the summoning, exaggerated or had even blatantly lied about a few details of his life so Alec would notice him. After the summoning when Alec stayed for drinks he’d enjoyed himself, Magnus’s stories had been wild and entertaining. He liked the attention of the warlock, and it gave him a look into a life he thought he could never have. It had all come to a head at the institute, Magnus had been briefing everyone on his findings and it had been Alec who walked him out. 

“You should come back to my place, we can continue our conversation from the other night. I have centuries of stories to tell you,” he’d said trailing fingers down Alec’s arm  
“I’m getting married,” he blurts

Magnus pulls his hand back like he’s been burned “Married?”  
“I’m arranged to marry a woman”  
“Alexander..”  
“I don’t have a choice, it’s what’s best for my family”

Magnus crosses his arms “We always have a choice Alexander!”  
“Magnus, you don’t understand!”  
“You’re right, I don’t understand Shadowhunters I never have. A group of people who put duty and family honour before what’s right,”  
He uncrosses his arms “ Alexander,I know you feel what I feel. Don’t run away from this”  
“You don’t have a clue what I feel, so back off”

Magnus turns to leave but stops with his hand on the doorknob “Just think about one thing, will you be happy? Or will you become like the people who’ve made you feel you have no other choice,”  
Magnus leaves with the slam of a door and a noise Alec assumes is a portal. Alec takes a deep breath to calm him and prepares himself for a day of wedding plans. Later that night, Alec can’t be at the institute and needs to clear his head. So he goes to his spot, the stone bridge. When he gets there, he’s greeted by a familiar face, the cat meows at him from the bridge in greeting.

“Hey kitty,” he says stepping towards the bridge  
Suddenly the cat leaps off the bridge from where it’s sitting, but instead of the cat landing on the ground, the cat transforms and in its place is a squatting Magnus Bane.

“Hello Alexander,” he says as he stands

Alec stands still, eyebrows raised, mouth open. There are many things he wants to say and many questions the shadowhunter should ask, but what comes out is a shocked “You’re a cat?”

“I get a better read on people as a cat,” Magnus explains   
It says nothing-”  
“Nothing in my file?” Magnus smirks and takes a step towards the shocked shadowhunter “Darling, there are a lot of things about me not in my file”  
“Oh,” he says shakily, “Wait! Have you been spying on me?”  
“Never Alexander, merely observing”  
“Observing what?”  
“At first why a group of trained Shadowhunters would leave one of their own behind to get attacked by a demon”

Alec huffs at the memory “I wondered why a demon would be afraid of a fluffy cat”  
“Fluffy!” Magnus squawks

Alec chuckles

Magnus smiles back “Now come here and let’s finish our discussion from earlier, with fewer accusations and maybe a real discussion”  
Alec sighs but follows Magnus onto the bridge. They lean against the bridge, standing side by side; the warlock prompts Alec to start. Alec starts with an apology.

“I didn’t mean those things I said,”   
He explains how he has to do this for this family, bring honour back to their name and how he’s afraid for his career, what his family and everyone would think.   
“I wish things were different,” he sniffs  
“Alexander, it’s not up to you to fix your parent’s or your sibling’s mistakes,” Magnus frows “Maybe I should apologize, for scaring you and coming on too-”  
“No!” interrupts Alec “Don’t apologize for that. It made me nervous, but it wasn’t unwelcome”   
“So where does that leave us?” asks Alec after a quiet pause

Magnus turns, so he’s facing Alec “I think that leaves us with a decision you need to make. Do you want to live a life for your parents? One where you’re unhappy, where your wife eventually resent each other,”

He pauses and gently places his hand on top of the shadowhunter’s, Alec’s breath catches but he doesn’t move.  
“Or, you could live for yourself. It’ll be scary. People will say things and it’ll be difficult but I’ve lived for centuries Alexander and I can tell you that being yourself, feels good and you’ll be so much happier” 

Magnus watches Alec wipe a tear from his cheek, he squeezes his hand in a comforting gesture. 

“How did you know I’d come here tonight?,”  
Magnus smiles softly “Where else would you have gone? It’s our bridge,”

The pair part ways late into the night, Alec watches in awe as Magnus transforms back into a cat before scurrying away. He takes his time walking back, thinking about the things Magnus said. Would he be happy? Could he live a life like that? Would his life being a little more difficult be worth it for his happiness? He falls asleep feeling warm and the warlock’s face on his mind.

A few days later there’s a knock at Magnus’s door, on the other side of the door is Alec. He’s panting, his cheeks are pink, and he’s dressed in a suit.

“You were right,” he pants in the doorway “I need to live for myself”  
Before Magnus can reply, the shadowhunter grabs Magnus by the lapels of his jacket, leans in and kisses him in the doorway.


End file.
